NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 27: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors is greeted by Draymond Green #23 after breaking the 50 point mark en route to a total of 54 in the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 27, 2013 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. The Knicks defeated the Warriors 109-105. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Photo: Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 27: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State...

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Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) fights for position against Dallas Mavericks Shawn Marion (0) and Vince Carter (25) late into the second half of their NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland California. Warriors won 100-97.

NEW YORK - Purvis Short wasn't aware until early Thursday of the one-man show Stephen Curry starred in Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

By mid-afternoon, Short felt as though he had relived the entire game - which included Curry scoring the most points by a Warrior since Short had a 59-point outburst against New Jersey in 1984.

"I wasn't able to watch the game, but I've been watching all of the highlights all morning," Short said. "He put on quite a performance. ... He's not only a tremendous player, but he's also a tremendous person. My hat is off to him. Wow, I think that will go down as one of the greatest performances ever at one of the greatest arenas."

Short has been working for 20 years with the player programs department of the NBA Players Association, which helps current players in such areas as career development, financial education and health education.

He knows a thing or two about great performances.

He was selected by the Warriors with the No. 5 pick in the 1978 draft and averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists during a 12-year career, including nine seasons with the Warriors. His best years were in the Bay Area; he averaged at least 21.4 points per game in four consecutive seasons from 1982-86.

Widely considered the best player to never play in an All-Star Game, Short used a superb mid-range game and rafter-scraping jumper to seemingly score at will. He poured in 57 points in a victory over San Antonio on Jan. 7, 1984, and he bettered that night with a 59-point performance in a loss to New Jersey on Nov. 17, 1984.

"The night that I scored the 59, it was a great shooting performance, but it wasn't one of my happier times because we didn't win," Short said. "That took a lot away from it. Years later, you come to appreciate what you did, but it would sound a lot better if someone could tell the story about you scoring 59 in a game that you won."

Short thinks Curry will have a story like that to tell one day. With Curry's accurate and seemingly effortless three-point shooting, Short believes the Warriors' point guard will have more games like the one that put him on a national stage this week.

"Steph is such a talented player and such an outstanding shooter that I'm not surprised that he was able to put up those types of numbers. It was just a matter of time," Short said. "The three-pointer at that time when I played was not a main focus. It certainly has evolved since.

"I'll tell you, I was just amazed when I was watching the highlights at how great a shooter this kid is. I mean, I knew he was a great shooter, but to see that kind of performance in the Garden, it was really spectacular."

Curry made the national radio rounds Thursday. He told stories about rookie Harrison Barnes trying to goad him into going for 61 points to match Kobe Bryant's total at Madison Square Garden and teammates refusing to touch his right hand during fist bumps.

"It's always fun to come play at MSG, regardless if you score 50 or 10, just because of the atmosphere and the history," Curry said.

He just became part of it.

Friday's game

Who: Warriors (33-25) vs. Celtics (30-27)

Where: Boston

When: 4:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: CSNBA/680

Of note: The Celtics have lost four of their past seven games after a seven-game winning streak. ... The Warriors have lost seven of their past nine games in Boston. ... All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo missed the Celtics' 101-83 loss to the Warriors on Dec. 29 in Oakland with a bruised right hip. He was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Jan. 27, and Boston is a surprising 10-4 since. ... Since Jan. 1, Boston ranks second in the league in defensive rating and opponents' field-goal percentage, third in forced turnovers and fifth in points allowed.

- Rusty Simmons

Scoring 50 at the Garden

The highest-scoring NBA games at the modern Madison Square Garden, which opened in February 1968.